Shoulder-brace and suspenders



No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet- 1'.

T. TRAMBLAY. I SHOULDER BRAGES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented P55. 25, 1896.

622% 22224222 flax kgy (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet F. TRAMBLAY.

SHOULDER BRACES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHDTCUTMQWASHI NGTON. D c

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(N9 Model.)

P. TRAMBLAY SHOULDER BRACES AND SUSPENDERS.

No. 555,272. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

AN DREW B.GRMAM.PHUTO-UT11O wAsmNlrruN D C UNITED STATES 1 PATENTOFFICE.

FELIX TRAMBLAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOULDER-BRACE AND SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 555,272, dated February25, 1896.

Application filed June 26,1895. Serial No. 554,082. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FELIX TRAMBLAY, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shoulder-Braces and Suspenders; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoulder-braces of that classwhich serve both as a means by which the wearer is given a tendency toassume and maintain an erect posture with the shoulders thrown wellback, and as a suspender or garment-supporter, by means of which thetrousers, skirt, or other nether garments of the wearer are suspendedfrom the shoulders.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction indevices of the character referred to; and it consists in the mattersherein set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of ashoulder-brace and garment-supporter constructed in accordance with myinvention. Figs. 2 and 3 are front and rear views showing the manner ofwearing the same.

In said drawings, A A designate the main shoulder-straps,and B a shorttransverse strap extending between the rear portions of saidshoulder-strap A at about the level of the points of theshoulder-blades. The rear ends, a, of the strap A below the cross-strapB are made adjustable in length and are provided at their lowerextremities with buttonholes a for attachment to the rearsuspender-buttons, c, of the trousers C of the wearer. The adjustmentreferred to is in this instance provided by making said rear ends, a, ofthe straps A separate from the upper portions, 0 thereof, and connectingsaid lower and upper portions by metallic loops a through which the endsa are passed and ad justably secured by sliding buckles a.

The shoulder-straps A terminate in front about on a level with the rearcross-strap, B, and are provided at their extremities with metallicloops 0 through which the front straps, D, are loosely passed. Thelatter are provided at their lower ends with bifurcated straps D havingbuttonholes (Z in their extremities for attachment to the frontsuspender-buttons, c, of the trousers, said bifurcated straps being ad justably secured to the straps D by buckles d of suitable form. From theloops a the upper portions of the front straps, D, pass around beneaththe arms and are sewed or otherwise fastened to the shoulder-straps A attheir points of connection with the cross-strap B. Side straps, E,depend from said upper portions of the front straps, D, at pointsdirectly beneath the arms and are provided at their lower ends withbuttonholes 6 for attachment to side buttons, 0 of the trousers C, orsaid side straps may be extended downwardly to support the stockings, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As herein shown the side straps, E, are attached to the upper portion ofthe front straps, D, by means of triangular metallic loops 6?, which areinserted in the front straps, D, at their desired points beneath thearms. The rear ends, (Z of the upper portions of the front straps, D,are in this case made separate from the main body portion thereof, andare passed through the loops (1 and adj ustably secured by slidingbuckles (1 by means of which they may be lengthened or shortened, asdesired. The depending side straps, E, are similarly connected to theloops (2 and provided with sliding buckles e by which their length maybe adjusted.

As hereinbefore stated the front straps, D, pass loosely through theloops a of the shoulder-strap and are free to slide longitudinallytherein to accommodate the differentpostures assumed by the wearer. Inthis instance and preferably such loose connection is effected bysplitting the strap D longitudinally into two strips or sections (1 andproviding two separate apertures a in the loop a to receive said stripsd Said apertures a are arranged side by side near the lower edge of theloop, while a single upper slot or aperture, a is provided at the upperedge of said loop for the attachment of the shoulder-straps A. Thestrips (1 are inserted in the aperture a of the loops by splitting thestrap D clear to its end and afterward stitching the extremities of thestrips together, as shown at d. Obviously, 110wever, each of the strapsD might be made of two entirely distinct strips stitched together attheir ends and left separated at their midlatterpass around beneath thearms, and thus to prevent said straps from binding the weareruncomfortably in the armpits, as is a common fault with a largeproportion of the braces now in use. At the same time such action of theside straps does not interfere with the tendency of the front upperportions of the shoulder-straps A and front straps, D, to force back theshoulders and induce the wearer to maintain an erect position. It isnot, however, intended that the action of the brace shall be verysevere, but rather that it shall merely exert sufficient pressure whenthe shoulders are permitted to droop forward to remind the wearer ofthat fact.

The construction of the brace in its several details, aside from thefeatures pointed out, may be as found suitable and convenient orcustomary in this class of manufactures. The requirement of elasticwebbing for the several straps is, however, largely obviated by the factof the sliding engagement of the front straps, D, with theshoulder-straps A, by reason of which the brace adjusts itself tovarious positions of the body without throwing an undue strain on anyparticular part. As herein shown, and preferably, therefore, elasticwebbing is employed only to a slight extent, and in the particularinstance illustrated is confined to the lower ends, a, of theshoulder-straps A and to the back strap, B.

I claim as my invention 1. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps, aback strap connecting said shoulder straps, means for securing the rearlower ends of the shoulder-straps to the garments, metal loops securedto the front ends of said shoulder straps, front straps passing looselythrough said loops and secured at their rear ends to theshoulder-straps, side straps depending from the front straps at pointsbeneath the arms and means for securing the lower ends of the side andfront straps to the garments, substantially as described.

2. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps A, a back strap 13connecting said shoulder-straps, loops a on the front ends of theshoulder-straps, apertures a in said loops, split straps D passingthrough said apertures and secured at their rear ends to theshoulder-straps adjacent to the back strap 13, loops d inserted in saidfront straps beneath the arms, depending side straps E and means forsecuring the lower ends of the straps to the garments, substantially asdescribed.

3. A shoulder-brace comprising shoulderstraps A, the back strap Bconnecting said shoulder-straps, loops a secured to the front ends ofthe shoulder-straps at about the height of the back strap 13, aperturesa in said loops, split front straps D passing through said apertures andsecured at their rear ends to the shoulder-straps at points adjacent tothe back strap B, triangular loops (1 inserted in said front strapsbeneath the arms, that portion of the straps behind said loops beingmade adjustable in length, side straps E depending from said loops,means for securing the lower ends of the straps to the garments andmeans for adjusting the length of the lower portions of the front andshoulder straps, substantially as described.

4. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, a pair of shoulderstrapsjoined at the back, a strap uniting the front and back portions of eachshoulder-strap and extending beneath the arm, and a side strap separatefrom said shoulder-strap engagin g each of said uniting-straps at apoint under the arm, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, the combination with apair of shoulder-straps joined at the back, and straps united to therear of each of said shoulderstraps and split attheir forward ends, ofloops on the forward ends of the shoulder-straps suitably apertured forthe passage of the divided portions of the split straps, the free endsof the rear shoulder-straps and of the split straps being adapted forconnection with the garment of the user, substantially as de scribed.

6. In a combined suspender and shoulderbrace, the combination with apair of shoulder-straps adapted to extend over the shoulders parallelwith each other and joined at the back, means for connecting the freeends of the straps to the garment, and straps uniting the front and rearport-ions of said shoulder-straps and passing beneath the arms, of loopsinserted in said uniting'straps between said shoulder-straps, and sidestraps depending from said loops and adapted for engagement at theirfree ends with the garment of the user, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of May, A. D.1895.

FELIX TRAMBLAY.

\Vitnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, XVILLIAM R. HALL.

